…support group calls for calm
The governorship ambition of Hon. Okechukwu Chinda, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, has come under threat as the opposition demands his disqualification by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Supreme Court had on September 24, 2026, delivered a judgment that only party members listed on the official register submitted to INEC at least 21 days before a primary election can vote or be voted for.
The judgment did not declare Chinda dusqualified, but it restored the application of Sections 77 and 84 of the Electoral Act 2026, which empowers the INEC to regulate political party membership registers and primaries.
The opposition in Rivers is banking on the fact that although
Chinda won the APC governorship primary on May 21, 2026, his official letter of resignation from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was not read on the floor of the National Assembly until June 2, 2026.
According to the Supreme Court’s decision, only members listed on the official register submitted to INEC at least 21 days before a primary election can vote or be voted for.
The opposition is banking on the fact that the defection of Chinda, who serves as the Minority Leader in the House of Reps (a position reserved strictly for the opposition PDP), clearly shows dual party affiliation.
The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify Kingsley Chinda as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Rivers State in the 2027 election.
But as the campaign against Chinda mounts, his political support group has called on supporters and loyalists of the group to remain calm and disregard reports suggesting that the Supreme Court judgment has automatically invalidated his candidature.
The Rivers State coordinator of the “I win, you win Support Group,” Chief Amb. Lloyd Otuonye, Esq., in a statement appealed to supporters to disregard the social media for the “proper legal interpretation” of the judgment.
He said: “First, what did the Supreme Court decide? The Court determined the constitutional validity of the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act. That decision is binding law and will guide the determination of future cases involving those provisions.
“Secondly, did the Supreme Court determine that Hon. O.K. Chinda breached those provisions? The answer, according to the State Coordinator, is No.
“Hon. O.K. Chinda was not a party to the suit in which the judgment was delivered, and the Supreme Court did not, in that judgment, make any finding of fact or specific order concerning his APC membership, the conduct of his primary election, or the validity of his particular candidature.”
He added: “The judgment does not, by itself, invalidate Hon. O.K. Chinda’s candidature. There is no order in that judgment specifically disqualifying him or nullifying his candidature.
“Members should therefore remain calm and should not be misled by sensational reports or interpretations circulating on social media, as it is the handiwork of those against O K. Chinda”
He urged members to continue their grassroots mobilisation and remain confident in the political process while allowing the courts to determine if there is any specific legal dispute.
